Don LabriolaSony SRS-P11Q Passive Speaker SystemThe SRS-P11Q is a passive two-piece system that saves cost and weight by omitting an internal amplifier. It's not all that portable, but if you can live with its inordinately low volume levels, it's a reasonable choice at the price.

Requires no batteries or power connections; low price; interchangeable faceplates.

Cons

No controls; very low volume levels; little bass.

Bottom Line

The SRS-P11Q is a passive two-piece system that saves cost and weight by omitting an internal amplifier. It's not all that portable, but if you can live with its inordinately low volume levels, it's a reasonable choice at the price.

The Sony SRS-P11Q Passive Speaker System is a low-priced speaker system that requires no external power source. If you need a quick and dirty way to add a low-volume sound system to a portable music player, voice recorder, tabletop radio, or notebook computer, it'll do the job.

The P11Q consists of two tennis-ball-with-feet satellites, each of which contains a 2.2-inch cone mounted in a bass-reflex cabinet. They feel solid enough but don't match the portability and convenience provided by the smallest one-piece systems, such as the Creative TravelSound Notebook 500 and Sony's own TRS-T33.

The P11Q ships with interchangeable white and silver faceplates but offers no other amenities, such as volume and tone controls. And it's powered solely by the relatively low voltage of its line-level input signal. When powered by a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS sound board, our evaluation unit's maximum SPL at 12 inches was about 73 dBsofter than that of some notebook computers' internal speakers.

Our test unit didn't contain an amplifier that could be driven into distortion, but frequency response was ragged. It didn't produce much bass below 200 Hz, and its high end rolled off quickly above 9 kHz. Nonetheless, in part because of the low output levels, the P11Q produced generally pleasant sound, never becoming harsh or strident.

The SRS-P11Q isn't designed to compete with most of the other products in this roundup. But it can be a satisfactory low-cost solution for undemanding uses, like playing soft music in your hotel room as you go to sleep.

Sony SRS-P11Q Passive Speaker System

fair

Bottom Line: The SRS-P11Q is a passive two-piece system that saves cost and weight by omitting an internal amplifier. It's not all that portable, but if you can live with its inordinately low volume levels, it's a reasonable choice at the price.

Sony SRS-P11Q Passive Speaker S...

Sony SRS-P11Q Passive Speaker System

Get Our Best Stories!

This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.